Godly fathers-ungodly sons-39

Sorry for last week. It was a very trying day and took all my time to resolve.

What was the legacy of Solomon? Sadly he ended doing evil.

1 Kings 11:4  For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 11:5  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. 11:6  Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father had done. 

11:7  Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. 11:8  Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods

After being given wisdom, wealth, and being made King of Israel, he left God to follow the gods of his foreign wives.

11:9  Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 11:10  and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded. 

11:11  So the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.  11:12  "Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 11:13  "However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen." 

Disobeying God’s clear commands has terrible and sometimes eternal consequences. God’s promise to David will be honored but the kingdom is being torn into two. This will permanently alter the nation of God and worship of God.

11:28  Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. 11:29  It came about at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had clothed himself with a new cloak; and both of them were alone in the field. 

11:30  Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. 11:31  He said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes 11:32  (but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel), 11:33  because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did. 

What a list of idols and abominations before the LORD! How could Solomon who had been given so much and started so well end to badly?

11:34  'Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; 11:35  but I will take the kingdom from his son's hand and give it to you, even ten tribes. 11:36  'But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name. 

God gives the ten northern tribes to Jeroboam. What will he do?

11:37  'I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever you desire, and you shall be king over Israel. 11:38  'Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. 11:39  'Thus I will afflict the descendants of David for this, but not always.'" 11:40  Solomon sought therefore to put Jeroboam to death; but Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. 

Jeroboam is warned just as Solomon had been warned. Of course Solomon tried to kill him as he had killed those who challenged him. How did Solomon’s sins almost permanently cause Israel to forsake God?

Nehemiah 13:26  "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin.

Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. This is after the return of the remnant from captivity to Babylon! Yet Solomon’s legacy of foreign wives lived on.

What or which of your legacies will live on through your family? God will no be mocked and He rightfully expects and commmands to be obeyed.

More next Saturday.